Oosterdam
( Holland America Line )
10 Jun 2019
Quite fantastic holiday.
Holland America Line is an established cruise line offering luxury cruises, ideal for special occasions, fans of traditional cruising and those interested in varied destinations. Gracefully designed, with spacious public rooms boasting fine art and antiques, any one of Holland America Line's cruise ships will effortlessly delight. When it comes to your time onboard you can expect delicious cuisine, fun activities and dazzling evening entertainment, as well as exclusive BBC Earth Experiences and live chamber music. Combined with the amazing destinations visited during your cruise, a holiday with HAL is one you won’t forget in a hurry.
11 January 2022
08 May 2022
01 May 2022
02 July 2022
22 December 2021
30 April 2023
25 September 2022
10 October 2022
10 October 2022
No matter where you’re sailing to with HAL, you can sample luxury cuisine from all over the world in the amazing onboard dining venues. With a mix of restaurants included and other speciality options available to celebrate a special occasion, there’s something for every taste onboard.
With breakfast, lunch and dinner at a variety of impressive restaurants included in your cruise fare, you'll never have to eat the same meal twice. The Main Dining Room is the place to go for classic cruise ship dining, or if you're looking for something more casual, Lido Marketplace features dishes that all the family will love. Meanwhile, comfort food is never far away thanks to New York Pizza and Dive-In.
Treat yourself to speciality dining during your Holland America Line Cruise and enjoy a more exclusive mealtime at sea. From surf and turf at Pinnacle to classic Italian dishes at Canaletto or Seafood at Asian fusion at Tamarind, this is the perfect opportunity to try cuisine from around the world without leaving the ship.
Holland America Line has a range of bars and lounges that bring evenings onboard their ships to life. For any cocktail lovers, there are plenty of spots to choose from. Crow’s Nest offers stunning views, while mix serves a combination of Martinis, spirits and ales or for those who are real enthusiasts when it comes to Whiskey, Notes is the place to be.
If you enjoy music, then the live performances in the evenings are a real highlight of cruising with Holland and America Line, where you can enjoy some of the best acts at sea in either the main theatre or more intimate bars and lounges. Genres span from live chamber music to piano singalongs and rock and roll hits.
Alternatively, the onboard casino on every ship is always popular once the sun sets, with hordes of cruisers hoping to hit the jackpot on one of the slot machines or games tables.
While Holland America Line understands the important role that a holiday plays in bringing the family together to make amazing memories, they also know that kids like to play and have fun with others their age, which is why they offer Club HAL. With dedicated clubs for different age groups, even the youngest guests will love their cruise experience and with highly trained and experienced staff, parents can be safe in the knowledge that their kids are being well cared for.
Holland America Line sail to all four corners of the world, cruising to 14 unique destinations only accessible with HAL, totalling more than 473 ports.
Holland America cruises also set sail on a 108-day grand world voyage which will take you to the far reaches of Antarctica, as you explore the 4 corners of the world on Prinsendam.
Most cruises with HAL are fly cruises with free economy flights from Glasgow, Manchester and London. Regional flights from other UK airports are available at a supplement.
While exploring places in the world that you’ve never visited before may be the main draw of a cruise, this doesn’t mean that your free time spent on the ship has to be anything less than memorable, and with so many different activities to choose from you’ll struggle to fit it all in. Some of the highlights include:
No matter where in the world you're travelling, you'll be sure to enjoy luxurious downtime and restful nights when you choose to stay in one of Holland America Line's exceptional suites.
HAL takes you to not only the heart of the destinations, but also to the soul of each place you visit. At the exploration central helpdesk you get expert advice on shore excursions as well as use of the handy touch screen to research what’s available. The Navigator App available free on your phone or device is also brilliant for planning your schedule.
The ‘EXC’ also provides onboard EXC Talks to learn more about each fascinating destination with immersive presentations by local and field experts. Meanwhile, ashore EXC Culture lets you take in local arts workshops and performances such as tribal dances and singing to truly experience the culture.
Also available on select regions and sailings:
Each ship has 28 accessible cabins including a choice of four insides, five outsides, 13 balcony cabins and six deluxe balcony cabins. Holland America Line's unique wheelchair-accessible tender transfer system makes boarding tender boats much easier for passengers with mobility issues. Holland America Line do not, however, allow heavy wheelchairs or scooters onboard tenders.
Vaccination Requirements
Holland America Line cruises are available for those who are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the beginning of the cruise. They must be able to provide proof of vaccination which includes the original vaccination card, digital Covid-19 certificate or record of vaccination from healthcare provider.
Covid-19 Testing
Holland America Line guests must present proof of a negative lateral or PCR covid-19 test within 3 days of embarkation. For those embarking in Europe in 2021, there will also be mandatory covid-19 testing at the cruise terminal at the expense of the cruise line.
Further detail around requirements specific to your cruise will be provided to you prior to departure and can be checked on the cruise line pages here.
Please see the itinerary page for exact details that apply to your sailing.
Onboard
Staterooms will be thoroughly cleaned up to twice a day, and after each cleaning all touch points will be sanitised again. In public spaces, such as corridors, there will be frequent cleaning, especially of handrails, door handles and buttons. Each night there will be deep cleaning and fogging of busy public venues such as restaurants, toilets and spa, amongst others. Should guests show flu-like symptoms their cabin will have an additional deep clean and all bed linen, towels, table cloths et will be specially laundered. At the entrance to onboard venues with high traffic, such as dining rooms, bars and lounges, there will be hand sanitizers to encourage frequent handwashing. At the Lido Market restaurant, crew will be on hand to prompt guests at these stations. All food service stations here will be staffed.
Crew
Crew safety is a priority for Holland America Line, which is why all members will be trained in Covid-19 measures and how to ensure compliance across the ships. Crew will also be required to undergo health checks before and throughout their time onboard.
Face Masks
When social distancing can’t be maintained, or when mandated by public health authorities, masks will be required onboard, at private islands, and during shore excursions. Masks must also be worn in terminals, during embarkation and disembarkation.
Holland America Line are working with local authorities, destinations and tour operators to ensure that shore excursions are safe for guests to enjoy. They will do this by following the health protocols for every port they visit, and they may reduce excursion and transport capacities. Only shore excursions that comply with Holland America Line's health and safety protocols will be permitted, with strict adherence required of all guests and denial of re-boarding for any guests who do not comply.
Please see the itinerary page for exact details that apply to your sailing.
Insurance
TBC
Passports
All guests will require a passport with six months validity to be able to sail, even if the itinerary is not leaving British waters.
Please see the itinerary page for exact details that apply to your sailing.
Cancelled Cruises
Cancelled: all sailings departing through to June 2021 with the exception of-
The cruise line has sold the following ships from the fleet - Amsterdam, Maasdam, Veendam and Rotterdam. All cruises on these ships are fully cancelled through to 2022.
Future Cruise Credit
Those whose cruise has been affected by cancellations will receive Future Cruise Credit as follows:
Please note that FCC is valid for 12 months from the date issued and can be used on sailings departing up to and including 31st December 2022. These offers apply only to the cruise element of bookings where Iglu.com are the tour operator of the holiday.
Book any cruise that departs through 31st December 2021 by 30th September 2021 and you can cancel for any reason up to 30 days before departure and automatically receive a Future Cruise Credit in the amount of non-refundable fees collected by Holland America Line (the remainder will be refunded to you). You can use the Future Cruise Credit when you're ready to book your next cruise holiday.
T&Cs apply - please see the itinerary page for details
10 Jun 2019
Quite fantastic holiday.
12 Oct 2019
Have just returned from a the Alaska cruise on Hollander America.everything was excellent We really did appreciate the opportunity to attend mass every morning with a priest on board. Many thanks
16 Dec 2018
Our cabin was spacious and comfortable. Dining was a pleasure and the ship was easy to manoeuvre around. Loved the talk on the History of Faberge and the chance to see Faberge Eggs - Brilliant. We also enjoyed the BBC Planet Earth programmes.
24 Sep 2018
We had a brilliant cruise on Eurodam. All staff were helpful and cheerful. Would recommend this ship to anyone looking to choose a cruise
12 Sep 2019
Alaska Glacier Discovery from Vancouver, just returned. We chose H&A because things appear a little more laid back, the food is good and there is not much noise after midnight on their ships. We had a great week around Alaska. We pre-booked the whale watching tour which was first class, or perhaps we were lucky with the company of whales we saw. Bad bit, the crew were perhaps not as focused as on previous cruises. There was no sign of the ship's dance crew, without their performances on the main stage, the main stage offering was poor. The food portion sizes were reduced. Which leads me into the good bits. You could always ask for a bit more which does save on waste and some were still receiving more than they could eat. The Lincoln Centre Stage provided a good area for classical music. The music selection was a not from a top 100 list of most popular but made up for a lack of quality activity on the main stage. Our intention was to view whales and that was achieved. Would I book H&A again? yes.
Show more23 Sep 2019
We are not regular cruisers and have not been on any Holland America ships before so we were not sure what to expect. However, we were very impressed with every aspect of the cruise from the stateroom, service, food and great music and artwork. The experience has restored our faith in cruises and we would certainly sail Holland America again.
21 Sep 2019
Hated every minute. Fend for yourself ethos. Very poor entertainment, lack of transport/informtion/maps to to help one get ashore as a result only felt safe to leave the ship at 3 ports. A feeing of total isolation as a solo passenger, particularly, the dining room experiences.
10 Jul 2019
Dreadful Cruise!! My husband and I did the Double Denali with 7 day cruise down the inner passage in June this year (2019). What a mistake that was!! I had one day on-board the Noordam before I got ill. One day to enjoy the ship - that's all. I had one day before I fell dreadfully ill with a virulent flu virus which I contracted while staying in the Holland America chalet in Denali a few days before (together with up to 90% of other people on the same holiday, according to what the medical staff on board told us). I was told by their medical staff that it takes up to 4 days to show after infection so that takes it firmly into the Denali stay period. It was also a ‘seasonal identified influenza virus’.. Presumably a local virus? We certainly never heard a holiday maker on our bus/train etc coughing - not until we got on the Noordam. Certainly by the end of the cruise people were coughing all over the ship. My temperature reached 104 degrees and I was 'isolated' and 'sanitized' in my room for 3 days. This was done in the most insensitive and unkind way - making me sit there in the room feeling like a leper. I sat crying while staff in gloves and masks swilled the room over with cheap smelly disinfectant (which, by the way, aggravated my throat and cough). I was too ill to do anything about it except get very upset and later to get very very angry. We were told to use the room service. Most of the food offered in the room service booklet was inedible to me as I was feeling so ill. My husband spent 3 days going up and down the ship getting me glasses of water and bits of food I could eat (cold by the time he got it to me). Ringing room service was very difficult as the phones are so weak that it's difficult to hear anyone on the other end and always so busy, and the people answering them often had poor English. Room service always said there would be at least a 45 min wait for anything. At no point were we offered or told about anything that might be available to us to help us. My husband couldn't even get a jug for water - he was only allowed to bring water by the glass. There weren't even any trays to carry things on. We have never done a cruise before so all this was new to us and we didn’t know how to cope with it. We didn't get our down-turn service or any other niceties. We missed all the ships activities, dinners, and worst of all our bucket list excursions which we had planned and paid for months in advance. We didn't even get any reassurance we would get our money back for the excursions from them until much later. We felt largely abandoned and sacrificed so that their epidemic wouldn’t spread -which was ironic really since the whole ship sounded like it had the same cough by the end of the trip. There was definitely an epidemic. When I was eventually allowed out of my cabin after 3 days I was very angry indeed and I spoke to one of the managers in customer services but he was cold and distant and indifferent. He had no empathy what so ever and said in the end that - quote 'if he compensated me he'd have to compensate all the others and he wasn't going to do that'. He even inferred that it was my own fault for not knowing how to use room service more and asking for what I wanted. He seemed to want to blame me and any other staff - he had no empathy or conception that I had been deliriously ill with fever and was still very ill and that we had never been on a cruise before and didn't know the ropes. The rest of the cruise was dreary because I had such a sore throat I couldn't speak, I lost my voice, and I was weak and unable to do much. I had no appetite. I still don’t feel completely well. In short, the cruise experience that my husband and I had with Holland America was absolutely abysmal. Not only were we treated pretty dreadfully, we never got the experience we were promised and we had a holiday from hell, with no recompense or care or compassion. I have emailed them about this many times since we got home and they have totally ignored me – except to send adverts for cruise holidays!!! How insensitive is that? I would warn people not to book a trip on the Noordam and not to book a package with Holland America. If anything goes wrong you will most probably be treated like us. I might add that we felt the ship was run down and past it's best. The food was pretty awful and you had to stand in queues for anything all the time. Our balcony had a huge mound of rusting metal in it's floor - which wasn't very reassuring. Customer services are none existent. Once they have your money you will never be able to contact them again. I have emailed them a dozen times and they have completely stone-walled me. Disgusting. Holland America are a truly awful company.
Show more12 Mar 2015
The cruise from Dubai to Singapore was excellent. the ship was very good. The staff provided very good service and the whole atmosphere was very friendly. the trips asore were good and the whole package was very good. all transfers went smoothly and the hotels were excellent. It all contributed to a lovely and very memorable holiday. Thank you.
23 Feb 2019
Very interesting, great crew, wonderful customer service. I enjoyed every minute.t
03 Dec 2019
An amazing cruise! So many highlights despite extremely rough seas at the beginning but with excellent navigation made by the Captain we were kept safe and escaped even rougher seas by sheltering in inside channels. Loved sailing through Glacier alley, Darwin channel and around Cape Horn. It was good to hear the ships horn blast as we passed the Horn and it was a nice touch to be given a certificate to say that we had been around the Horn. The cruise director Kevin gave very informative talks about each place we visited and the ship had very good evening entertainment on the stage on deck 5. As we left the ship there was a line up of staff from the ship including Kevin to see us off and we thought this was a very personal touch.
Show moreYes, cabins onboard Holland America Line ships are fitted with two-pin plug sockets, so you will need to bring an adaptor to use appliances such as hair straighteners and phone charges which have a UK-style plug.
All entertainment onboard Holland America Line ships is included in your cruise fare. This covers everything from live music in B.B. King's Blues Club, to the magnificent and elaborate productions on The Mainstage.
There is a fairly relaxed dress code onboard all ships, all that is asked is that smart casual wear is worn in the restaurants - this includes smart jeans. Those who wish to be a part of Gala nights should wear more formal attire on these occasions such as cocktail dresses and pant suits, and all other guests will be asked to dine in the casual restaurants.
Holland America Line use US Dollars onboard, however, cash is only accepted in the casinos. All other onboard purchases will be charged to your onboard account. This account is activated by registering a credit or debit card, from which a charge of $60USD per person per day will be held during the cruise. If you do not wish to register a card, this amount will need to be provided in cash instead.
Yes, Holland America Line offer a choice of WiFi packages allowing internet access onboard. These are priced per day, and differ depending on what you need the internet for. It's possible to book these pacakages before the cruise, or while onboard.
Any guests with food allergies, intolerances, or other dietary needs should mention these at the time of booking, and then again the the restaurant managers when onboard. If your allergy is life-threatening you will need to complete Holland America Line's 'Special Requirements Information' form, and provide details in order for the crew to make the necessary arrangements to avoid cross-contamination of your food.
Yes, guests can help themselves to tea and coffee from the Lido buffet, or it is possible to order some via Room Service at no additional charge.
Yes, room service is included in your cruise fare - unless otherwise stated on the menu in your stateroom - so it's possible to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the privacy of your own accommodation if preferred.
There are no onboard restaurants open 24 hours, however Room Service is available at any time - day or night.
The cruise line can cater for vegan and vegetarian diets, it is advisable to inform of these needs at the time of booking, and again onboard to the restaurant manager.
Holland America Line offer three different kid's clubs according to age groups: 3-7 years (5-7 on ms Prinsendam), 8-12 years, and 13-17 years. The clubs have an open door policy, and offer full supervision and a range of games and activities for young cruisers.
It is possible to arrange for babysitters to take care of your children during sea days. This is charged at $10 per hour for the first child, and $7 per hour for each additional child. This may not always be available as the service is supplied on a volunteer basis. If you would like to arrange this, speak to Guest Services early on.
Children with special needs are welcome in the kid's clubs, and the onboard staff will do their best to accommodate all needs however one on one attention is unlikely to be available.
Babies can travel with Holland America Line as long as they are more than six months old.
Yes, as long as the pregnancy has not reached the 24th week, and will not do so during the cruise, pregnant ladies should be fine to travel. Having said this, they will need to provide a letter from a health professional which specifies the due date, medical state, and that the pregnancy is not high-risk.